PDO Thread Lift

ACPS med spa providers offer PDO (polydioxanone) thread lift for patients seeking a non-surgical lifting effect with minimal downtime. Biodegradable threads with barbs or cones are inserted under the skin through fine needles, mechanically repositioning lax tissue and stimulating collagen production along the thread tract as they dissolve over four to six months. Common treatment zones include the mid-face, jowl, brow, and neck. The procedure may extend the interval before surgical intervention is appropriate and may be combined with injectables for complementary results.

PDO thread lift at the Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery Houston offers a non-surgical approach to facial tissue repositioning for patients presenting with early-to-moderate laxity who seek immediate lifting without surgery, or who wish to extend the youthful results of prior injectable treatments. Polydioxanone (PDO) threads are biodegradable sutures of the same material used in cardiovascular and general surgical suturing, with a well-established biocompatibility and safety profile. At ACPS, two primary thread types are employed: smooth PDO threads, which stimulate collagen synthesis along the thread tract through a mild inflammatory foreign-body response without providing mechanical lift; and barbed or cog threads, which have bidirectional or unidirectional barbs along their length that engage the surrounding tissue and provide an immediate mechanical repositioning of the overlying skin and subcutaneous fat when the thread is anchored and tensioned. The procedure involves the insertion of threads through fine gauge needles inserted at entry points placed in the hairline, periauricular area, or inconspicuous facial locations. For mid-face and jowl lifting, anchoring threads are directed from temporal or preauricular entry points downward and anteriorly into the tissue being repositioned; tension applied to the thread draws the tissue superolaterally into a more youthful position. For brow lifting, threads are directed from a superior hairline entry downward into the brow tissue to elevate the lateral brow arch. For neck and lower face contouring, threads may be placed along the jowl margin or in the submental area to define the cervicomandibular angle. The mechanical lifting effect is immediate and visible at treatment completion, with some additional improvement over four to eight weeks as the PDO-stimulated collagen matures around the thread tracts. As the PDO threads dissolve over four to six months, the collagen scaffold they stimulate provides ongoing structural support. Total duration of lifting effect typically ranges from twelve to eighteen months, after which the procedure may be repeated. ACPS providers position thread lift as a complement to injectables — neuromodulators to reduce dynamic lines and fillers to restore volume — and as a bridge for patients who are not yet ready for surgical facelift but seek results beyond what injectables alone can provide.